CONCLAVE RE-ELECTS OBONG OF CALABAR

CALABAR – Conclave of Etuboms, weekend, re-elected the dethroned Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Abasi Otu V, in compliance with the judgment of a Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar, which nullified the process that brought the Obong to the throne.

Trial judge, Justice Obojor Ogar, had on January 30, 2012, in his judgment in the suit by one of the contestants to the Obong stool, Etubom Anthony Ani, declared the process that brought the Obong to the throne as null and void and ordered a fresh selection exercise.

In obedience to the court judgment, the Conclave of Etuboms chaired by Etubom Cobham Boco, weekend, organised a fresh election between the dethroned monarch, Etubom Ekpo Otu and the former Minister of Finance under the late Gen. Sani Abacha regime, Etubom Ani, who had gone  to court to challenge the process of the selection that brought Otu to the throne.

In a statement by chairman of the Conclave of Etuboms, Cobham Boco, the king makers said though they disagreed and rejected the court verdict, they decided to take the pains to comply with the order.

They said: “Despite our total disagreement and absolute rejection of that judgment, the Etuboms Traditional Council took the painful step of promptly complying with the court order by convening the Conclave of Kingmakers for the purpose of conducting another selection of Obong of Calabar.

It explained that after the election, the dethroned Obong scored 15 votes and was re-elected while his challenger, Etubom Ani of Ikoneto scored zero.

It said “These results closely match those obtained on March 31, 2008, in which Etubom Otu scored 11 votes against Etubom Ani’s and Etubom Esien Ekpenyong Efiok’s one vote each.”

From Vanguard